Classical Greece

After your flights and transfers in the UK, you will be met at the airport in Athens before spending some time at leisure to discover Athens. Echoing mythology, with vibrant history at its core, Athens is enlivened by bustling outdoor cafes, winding streets that cross the city's ancient sites, and wonderfully friendly people.

After breakfast, enjoy a city tour of Athens, beginning with a drive to the centre and the majestic sight of the Acropolis. Walk up to the site to enjoy the magnificence of the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Erechtheion, and the temple of Athena Nike. These buildings are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and your guide will explain the incredible history and legends surrounding them. Take a short walk to the Acropolis Museum, looking down on to the Acropolis, and featuring amazing displays to show you how the Parthenon would have looked in antiquity.  You will then board the coach to continue to the Panathenaic stadium, used to host the first modern Olympic Games in 1986. After a 15 minute photo stop, continue to see the major landmark buildings of Athens, such as the national gardens and Greek Parliament. You will also spot the Temple of Zeus, and the Zappeion before spending the afternoon at leisure until dinner at a local Greek restaurant.

A scenic drive via the coastal road from Athens to the Corinth Canal will show you the scenic beauty, as you cross the bridge that connects the mainland with the Peloponnese, over the narrow canal. After a brief stop, continue to Mycenae, where you will walk under the famous Lion gate to the Mycenaean acropolis and the Palace. Here you will see the tomb of Agamemnon, and the ruins of the Cyclopean walls that protect the mighty ancient city. You will then visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Epidaurus, with ruins of temples and hospital buildings devoted to the healing gods, it is considered to be the birthplace of Asklepios. The monuments are considered to be some of the purest examples of Greek architecture, dating from the 4th century BC. The magnificent theatre is still used for plays and performances, the acoustics are unrivaled even by the standards of today.  Spend the night at the port town of Nafplio, one of the most historic and beautiful towns of Greece. 

Journey to Olympia, enjoying a spectacular drive through the mountains of Arcadia to Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games. Olympia is one of the most important sites in antiquity, here you will visit the main site and afterwards the very interesting museum. At the main site you will see the Temple of Zeus, once housing one of the seven wonders of the world. Your guide will show you the gymnasium where the athletes trained, the nymphaeum, and of course the main stadium. The museum is a short walk from the site and contains the 4th Century BC statue of Hermes by Praxiteles, plus other excavations including the Nike of Victory by Paenios. After sightseeing, set off to the town of Delphi, drving north to Patras, cross the Gulf of Corinth and onto mainland Greece. 

Delphi, situated on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, is the home of the legendary oracle and where you will be sightseeing this morning. At the foot of the mountain, the Pan-Hellenic sanctuary of Delphi is where you will start your walk. Passing the Castalia Spring, visit the archaeological site and view the monument of the Argive Kings, the treasury of Athenians, the Athenian Stoa, the Polygonal Wall, the monument of Platea, and the Temple of Apollo. People would visit the famous oracle to learn what their futures would hold in this magnificent setting, so impressive that in ancient times it was considered the naval of the world. Visit the museum, with spectacular exhibits.  A picturesque early afternoon drive takes you to Theromopylae, famous for the heroic defense by Leonidas and his Spartans against the invading Persians. After seeing the memorial, continue to Kalabaka.

Awaken to see the awe-inspiring rock formations, and understand why Kalabaka is nicknamed Meteroa, meaning 'suspended in the heavens above'. Climb the charming mountain villages of Kastraki, and Kalambaka to visit two of the six surviving Monasteries of Meteora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in the world. Here, you will get the chance to see how the monks live today, as well as entering some of the most captivating Byzantine basilicas in Greece.  In the afternoon, head south to Athens for dinner and overnight.